Maharashtra News: Raj Thackeray takes dig at BJP, says ‘build your party without breaking MLAs from others’

livemint.com:

alliance in the state. Raj Thackeray on Wednesday said the saffron party should ‘first build itself without breaking MLAs from other parties’. Thackeray was addressing his party workers in Panvel when he took a dig at BJP hinting at the recent spilt in political parties in Maharashtra.

To place things in context, Eknath Shinde rebelled in 2022, causing split in the Shiv Sena. Following this, Shinde joined hands with BJP and Devendra Fadnavis who now form the Maharashtra government. Shinde was made the Chief Minister of Maharashtra following the split.

In 2023, Ajit Pawar also caused a split in Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), when he and several other leader joined the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance governing Maharashtra. Ajit Pawar was made the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra along with Devendra Fadnavis. Thackeray also slammed the state government for potholed roads in different parts of Maharashtra.

He said it has been 16-17 years since the Mumbai-Goa highway is being constructed but is yet to see completion. “Our Amit (Thackeray’s son) was going somewhere and toll naka was broken. The BJP said first learn to build roads and then toll booths.

I think the BJP should learn to build its party without breaking MLAs from other parties," Thackeray said. He was referring to a toll naka ransacked last month allegedly by some MNS workers after party leader Amit Thackeray was stopped there. In major political upheavals in the state since June 2022, the Shiv Sena and NCP have split, with one faction from each party joining hands with the BJP to become a ruling partner.